I t is rare for organic materials, such as leather, wood or cloth, to survive through the ages. In normal circumstances, they decay rapidly, over a relatively short period of time. But thanks to the preservative qualities of peat, one of Orkney's most unique discoveries looks almost as good today as when it was created, over 1, years ago.
This artefact, a fringed, woollen cloak, now known simply as "the Orkney Hood", is unique among Orkney's many archaeological discoveries.
Although countless non-organic artefacts have turned up over the years, it is much rarer to find material or clothing - especially in such a superb state of preservation. In the case of the Orkney Hood, the garment was lost, or deliberately deposited, in a peat bog, and into conditions that ensured its survival for almost two millennia.
The lack of oxygen in the peaty conditions of the bog served to practically halt decay. The circumstances surrounding the discovery of the hood are vague, although it is known that it was found in , near the farm of Groatsetter, in Tankerness. The rare find then managed to find its way into the hands of the National Museum of Scotland NMS in Edinburgh where it has remained for well over years.
Contemporary with the Iron Age site of Minehowe , the garment is probably the oldest, best-preserved sample of textiles in Britain. The hood is thought to have been made for a child, the fringe along the base originally coming from an adult's garment. A replica of the Orkney Hood was recreated in , as part of the Minehowe Knowhow event - a combined arts and archaeology interpretation project using Minehowe in Tankerness as a focus.
